The Portland daily press., 1887-11-28
The Historic "FoiIys'' Of New Eng
land.

Boston Transcript
Throughout New England are many locali-
ties which have attached to them name,
the origin of which is most difficult to deter
mine. The name we have in mind is the
word Folly. In York, Me-. there is Folly
Pond; In Seabrook, N. H., Folly Mill
Woods, and on the line between Danvers
and Beverly is Folly Hill. There is Folly
Point and Cove on Cape Ann, and Folly
Cove Village about five miles from Halifax,
N. s., also Folly Island in Charlestown
harbor, S. G. There are localities likewise
in Amherst and in Wethersfeld, Litchfeld,
Stonington and Milford, Conn. In all of
these towns these names are ancient. There
is possibility of some owner of the places
committing some kind of a folly, and so
from it grew the name. But when we come
to study these places we find degree of
similarity in them, and this makes us to sur
mise that there is something beside some per-
sons folly which gave rise to it. The Appala-
chan Club last summer had field day to
Folly Hill, Danvers. In the descriptions of
the place, it is spoken Of as once owned by
Mr.. Brown who erected mansion thereon,
which in the mind of common folk was an
extravagant piece of folly. The club went
there, not because of the ruin of the man
sion, but because of the outlook, one Of the
grandest on the coast
: The Folly Mill woods, Seabrook, N. H., is
said by many to have derived its name from
man who built mill where there was not
much water; but for years far beyond the
memory Of the Oldest inhabitant, this same
place has been the resort for people after
Mayfiowers. 1t is almost the only place for
many miles about that the arbutus is found.
1t is picnic ground for May Day. Folly
Pond, York, also is beautiful sheet of water,
but little distance from the old Garrison
Hauco - 10aalifv oallad HGoot-
land" from days Of yoro. In the olden
times, when neighborhood gatherings were
Of highest delight, this beautiful pond was
the resort.
The question as to the derivation of the
word was agitated at the meeting OF the
American Historical Association, in Sara
toga. 1885. Different ideas were given; but
the idea most current was that it was one
of those stray inheritances which the people
of early New England brought with them,
Dutch of Holland. In New York State
there are still places where there are fly
parties These parties are not held in fly
time, but in certain place, with beautiful
surroundings, in valley, with lands rising
of the people for neighborhood picnic
The theory Of one writer is that Folly is a
corruption Of the Dutch word ''Flay" or
"Vlay." Rev. Anne. Vennema, who is stu
tion Of the Dutch word Wallet" meaning
valley. The accent of the word is on the
ultimate, and If spoken fast the vowel in the
first syllable is indistinct. mere transitional
sound, giving it the sound of ''y'ly" precise
ly. Now as a valley usually has a stream
running through it, the land alluvial, low,
soft, marshy sometimes, it does not take
great stretch of the Imagination to make
"vallei' applicable to the fly market" or
the ''hy market" or the Fly picnic" ground.
But it might be asked, how came Dutch
word into New England, and how came the
word, which is not dictionary word, into
use? The Pilgrims wrested and contended
with the language Of Holland for series of
years, before they came to New England !;
besides. not a few Dutch and English fami-
lies interm:ngled in the century or two pre-
vious to the settlement in America; besides,
again, the influence which merchantmen and
mariners exert in the creating of local Gus
toms is mot small. The English ever had
poor tongues to give the Dutch twist to
a word, which may account for this word
'felly," wallet falling out Of the dictionary
and surviving only in stray coloquial inheri-
tances, transplanted into the midst of the
Puritans in customs and manners, by the
practices and pleasures in which all the
world delight.